Composting Program
It's been a cold wet spring, which has set the composting schedule back by a couple of months, but as of May we have our first batch of approximately 1500 cubic yards cooking away. Unfortunately, this material will not be ready for spring 2010 but we should have some very nice compost by the middle of summer.
This first batch is composed of green waste brought in by the public and commercial landscapers and some pre-consumer fruit and vegetable waste from local grocery stores. In the future we will be incorporating manure and bedding as well as a limited quantity of wood, cardboard, and paper into the process. By experimenting with a wide variety of different feed stocks, we hope to develop an efficient composting process that is well adapted to the unique environment of the northern Nevada high desert.
A delivery of food waste. Up to now over-ripe fruit and vegetables in the Reno - Sparks area have been land-filled, wasting valuable organic material and generating greenhouse gasses, in particular methane.
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Grinding greenwaste. A wide variety of feedstock provides a wider diversity of organics and minerals which improves the composting process and the final product.
Loading out of a stockpile of ground greenwaste. Once material has been ground it is combined with other feedstocks in order to acheive a proper mix of carbon and nitrogen a desirable bulk density. Note the steam rising: evidence that the microbes are already at work.
Building the windrow. The final mix of feedstocks is complete, and the first batch is ready to go. The windrow will be monitored for temperature, moisture, and oxygen levels as composting proceeds. The windrow will be turned regularly to create a homogenous product, and water will be added as needed.
Checking the temperature of the newly completed windrow. This thermometer has a 36" probe for reading temperatures deep in the pile.
Shortly after construction the windrow has already reached an internal temperature of 140F. Later it will get considerably hotter. High temperatures serve a number of purposes, including the destruction of potentially harmful bacteria and weed seeds, as well as speeding the breakdown of organic material. Much of the larger pieces of feedstock visible in this photo will be consumed by bacteria and fungi during the composting process. What remains will be screened out of the final product and reused in a future batch.
Community support has been tremendous, and we would like to thank everyone who has brought in material. We continue to accept greenwaste during normal business hours at a cost of $5 per cubic yard with a $10 minimum. If you have any questions about the program, please give us a call at 425-3015. For more information about compost and composting, please visit our friends at Full Circle Compost www.fullcirclecompost.com